Secrets of a Warrior
by blessedpanties
Summary: Galepaw's mother was a beautiful and admired warrior of ThunderClan. Tragedy struck when she was found dead out of the blue. No cat will reveal any details about the young tom's mother's demise. They all walk on egg shells around him; especially those cats who were on the patrol that discovered her body. Why would no cat tell him what happened...? Galepaw is determined to find out.
1. Prologue

Ever since the day his mother died, nothing was the same. Her death was untimely and no cat ever saw it coming. Unfortunately, the clan had refused to reveal any information about the cause of her death to Galepaw. The young silver mackerel tabby felt he had every right to know the details about his mother's death, however, he knew that his clan only meant well. He didn't want his stomach to churn even more but anxiety prickled his pelt as he ran through all the possible ways she could have died. Tonight would be the fourth sleepless night that Galepaw would suffer through. He remembered being back in the nursery as a kit: his mother's gentle, even breaths, the warm feeling of her soft white fur against his own, the sense of security...

Nothing would be the same without her.

He remembered it all way too vividly: the sun was peeking from the horizon and a dewy mist clung in the air from the previous day's rainfall. The thickness of the foggy air clung to his long pelt and made his fur frizz slightly. He was heading toward the fresh kill pile to pick something for breakfast. Galepaw chose a plump mouse from the pile, his mind abuzz with ideas he had for his next training session with his mentor, Snaketail, a thin and lithe black tom with green eyes. Suddenly Cloudysky, Elmlegs, Blossompetal, and Deerpaw came into the camp entrance through the gorse tunnel, their eyes betrayed their shock and grief and Galepaw could sense the overwhelming feeling of sadness. It hung in the air as thick as the fog.

The apprentice's silver tabby fur prickled with unease as he watched Deerpaw padding over to him, her golden tail hanging low, dragging on the ground behind her. Her ears lay flat on her head and once she approached Galepaw, she lifted her head and her amber gaze met his.

"I-it's... Dovesong. She's... dead..."

As soon as the words had left her lips, his heart plummeted. His stomach flipped and his eyes widened in horror.

"No... No! You're lying!" He darted off in the other direction, heading toward the camp entrance.

"Galepaw! Wait-" He could hear Deerpaw's voice fade behind him as he burst through the entrance into the forest. Without even giving it a second thought, he just ran. He ran and ran, fighting back the tears that would inevitably come. He tripped over a gnarly root and when he landed on the other side he just lay there and sobbed. Galepaw felt like he had been lying there forever when raindrops started falling from the sky. They quickly picked up speed until it was pouring on the feeble figure that lie hopeless in the dirt.

His pelt was soon drenched and still, he had made no attempt to move. The pain was still all too real and the memory of his clan mates walking in the camp with sullen faces. Suddenly a paw prodded his side and he looked up between narrow amber slits while the rain battered the earth around him and saw Deerpaw standing over him, grief and concern clouding her eyes, "...Galepaw..."

He did not respond to her, only continued to look at her.

"Please come home... You'll get sick out here..."

"Just leave me alone! I'd rather die out here than go back!"

"D-don't be mouse-brained! The clan needs you, Galepaw! _I_ need you!" Galepaw couldn't tell if those were tears streaming down the she-cat's face or just rain water.

"Why... Why did this happen? Why did she have to go..." He choked out the last few words and Deerpaw laid down next to him and rested her muzzle across his shoulder blades. His paws were muddy and so was his belly but he did not have a shred of care. Deerpaw rasped her tongue gently over his ears but all Galepaw could do was shiver from the cold and the sadness.

* * *

Tonight his moss nest felt awkward and lumpy. Just as it had for the past few nights. He tossed and turned, his mind racing with thoughts. If he dared close his eyes and dream, he would dream of her...

Galepaw and his mother had a strong bond. They always went out into the forest together to catch mice and she always showed him the best spots for sunbathing. She would sing him to sleep and eat meals outside the nursery with him and she always knew exactly how to make him smile. The memories that cycled through the young tom's head made his heart ache with grief.

 _Why, Starclan? Why did you take her from me?_

Dovesong was one of the most popular warriors in ThunderClan. She was a skilled climber and hunted the best squirrels. Her death struck the clan with such shock but StarClan knows that no cat was as shocked as Galepaw. He didn't eat and still hasn't and his clan mates all walked on eggshells around him, careful not to say anything that might upset him further. This only reinforced the fact that she was gone.

He wished that he had the connection with StarClan that a medicine cat possessed so that he could speak with his mother but he knew that if he let his lids close over his bright yellow eyes he would have recurring nightmares of blood and fear and death. His mother was much too young to have died of natural causes and although Galepaw was just a naive apprentice, he knew this. The clan was hiding gruesome details from him. Those cats on the dawn patrol who found her body were particularly edgy around Galepaw.

There were things he wanted to know. Secrets he wanted to expose. Why would his clan, the cats he should be able to trust most, keep something so important from him? He knew deep in his heart that he probably would not be able to handle knowing the truth but something inside him cried out desperately for him to find out.

The tom closed his amber eyes and prayed to his mother in the star-studded sky above: _Dovesong, I know you can hear me. I will get to the bottom of your death. I will find out the truth and I will avenge you. I love you so much..._

After his silent promise to his mother, the tom suddenly felt an overwhelming sense of comfort and the milky, flowery scent of his mother flooded the dull apprentice den. For the first time in three days, Galepaw slept just as he did when he was a kit in the nursery with his mother.


	2. Chapter 1

Chapter One

The moon shone high in the sky, casting a washy and somewhat eerie glow on the forest floor below. Sleek shapes moved fluidly through darkness, ducking and weaving through thick undergrowth. Galepaw had been to a gathering before, this was nothing new or exciting for him. And not much could make the tom excited ever since the passing of his mother, not even his best friend, Deerpaw. The she-cat walked in stride next to the silver tabby tom. Her golden pelt looked a ghostly shade of it's usual vibrant color that reminded Galepaw of the sun, but her eyes still glowed with the amber mischief they always seemed to possess. He never let himself forget how lucky he was to have a friend like Deerpaw.

The two of them were straggling behind the rest of the ThunderClan cats; as usual, Galepaw felt exhausted even though he had not done enough to make him feel that way. The tom was only feeling drained because of the emotional turmoil he had been through when Dovesong passed away.

"Come on, Galepaw. I know you miss her, and I do too but you've got to stop letting it affect the present," the silver tabby's amber eyes met his father's, a large jet black tom with no markings whatsoever and a pelt so thick Leafbare couldn't penetrate it. Galepaw could see the pain shrouding Ravenwing's piercing yellow gaze and he knew his father only wanted so desperately to forget what happened that he would try pushing it to the depths of his mind in hopes that it would be buried, but Galepaw knew better. Nothing so tragic could just be forgotten. The big black tom gently drew his tongue over his son's ear and fell in step next to the two apprentices.

A sense of relief flooded over the silver tabby. Having his father next to him made him feel secure. Galepaw was always much closer to his mother but it was only because his father was a crucial member to the clan during his time of birth because they were going through some border skirmishes and Ravenwing was a fantastic battle asset. He did not resent his father for it either, only admired the courage and strength he had.

The scent of RiverClan, ShadowClan, and WindClan flooded Galepaw's nose along with the overwhelming tang of fish mingled in as they neared the slippery fallen log that led to the island where the gatherings were held every moon. Ravenwing and Galepaw halted, allowing Deerpaw to go first. She smiled and nodded at them both and made her way across the log with no trouble at all.

Once on the island, Galepaw glanced around, still baffled at how many cats there were even though this was his third gathering. He stayed by Deerpaw's side and a couple of RiverClan apprentices approached them.

"What's new with you guys? Any recent weaknesses we should know about?" The larger apprentice mewed; Galepaw wasn't sure if he was being serious or not.

"Shut up, Rootpaw. Like they would tell us if they did! They'd have to be mouse-brained," a small but clearly feisty she-cat retorted. Galepaw recognized the brown tabby she-cat as Shallowpaw. He admired her independence and she certainly was easy on the eyes. The she-cat had a small frame but the most delicate face with round blue eyes. Before he could notice he was staring at her, Deerpaw jabbed him in the flank with a paw.

"What are you doing, fox-breath?!" The golden tabby she-cat teased.

"Oh uh, I was just... I don't know." Galepaw had no lie to tell in its place. It didn't help he was a horrible liar and Deerpaw knew him well enough to know when he was feeling a different way that simply wasn't normal for Galepaw's usual aloofness.

Before the cats could continue arguing, Fernstar called from the Great Oak and immediately all the cats began crowding around the base of the huge tree. As all the surrounding cats slowly fell silent and still, Fernstar began to speak, "The prey is running well in ThunderClan ever since Newleaf. We have two expecting queens. However, it saddens me to say that we've lost a great warrior and friend, Dovesong will be greatly missed by all," murmurs of grief rippled through mainly the ThunderClan cats and Galepaw glanced down at his paws, unable to make eye contact with some of the cats whose eyes he could feel boring into him.

Once Fernstar was finished speaking she looked next to her at the ShadowClan leader, Tangledstar, and nodded in his direction, signifying it was his turn to talk. The big brown tom glared in the direction of the ThunderClan leader.

"It would appear _ThunderClan_ don't know how to stay on their own territory..." he growled.

"What on earth would make you say that, Tangledstar? You have no right to accuse my warriors," Fernstar meowed, defending her beloved clan.

"Then why did my moon-high patrol find a half eaten squirrel smelling of ThunderClan on _our_ side of the border, Fernstar? Do you have some brilliant explanation?" The big brown tabby challenged the smaller cat.

The fur rose on the gray and white she-cat's back, "Perhaps you're just trying to frame my clan for something ridiculous?"

The clouds began to cover the full moon and the sky grew dark. Galepaw knew StarClan was upset with the escalating quarrel that was going on above in the Great Oak. His pelt prickled with unease. Something didn't seem right...

"Silence!" Stormstar bellowed from his spot on the highest branch, "don't you fools see that StarClan are getting angry with us? If you're quite finished, Tangledstar, then allow me... Our clan is also doing well. We are well fed and we have three new kits. That is all I have to report," the big gray tom glanced between Fernstar and Tangledstar then returned his unwavering glare toward the crowd of cats.

"As for WindClan," Echostar's mew sounded from the lowest branch, "we will keep our borders well enforced seeing as ThunderClan seems keen on crossing their boundaries," the white tom nodded curtly.

"You all are being mousebrained. ThunderClan have done nothing," Fernstar retorted.

"Perhaps you need to keep a better eye on your warriors, Fernstar," Echostar meowed to her flatly. Galepaw could see how annoyed she was getting. Fernstar had a short temper which usually never was a ThunderClan leader quality but her feisty nature got her where she was today. Galepaw waited apprehensively to see if his leader would say anything else, but she was far wiser than to give in to the other clans' mocking. Instead she only scoffed and hopped down off the branch. She leaped up on the fallen log and left without a word. ThunderClan followed immediately after.

Galepaw overheard Aspenloom, the deputy, and Fernstar speaking in low whispers to each other, "What should we do, Fernstar...?" The white tabby tom asked urgently.

"We do nothing. We _did_ nothing. Let Tangledstar and Echostar be on edge for no reason. I cannot help their own stupidity," the gray and white she-cat meowed.

Still, Galepaw felt something was wrong. Why would a half eaten squirrel randomly show up in ShadowClan's territory? And why did it smell of ThunderClan? Tangledstar had to be making it up... _Right...?_


	3. Chapter 2

Chapter Two

Three days passed since the gathering and Galepaw couldn't stop letting the issue with the half-eaten squirrel gnaw at the back of his mind. Surely ShadowClan were just being their usual overly hostile selves… Galepaw shook his head attempting to shake away the thoughts and he prodded a paw into Deerpaw's side who was lying close by him in the apprentices' den.

"Psst… Deerpaw! It's a little past dawn. Let's see if we can go hunting."

"Huh…?" The golden she-cat blinked up at Galepaw sleepily, "honestly, Galepaw, you're as restless as a badger kit." Deerpaw grumbled and rolled back over while the young silvery tabby sighed and exited the den. A heavy mist clung in the air indicating that it had rained overnight. There were small puddles littered across the hollow.

Before Galepaw walked any further he heard his golden tabby friend stifle a yawn behind him as she approached him, blinking sleep from her eyes.

"You said you wanted to go hunting?" She gave him a sleepy smile.

"Yeah, let's go. Shouldn't we tell Falconswoop and Elmlegs though?" Galepaw asked.

"Hmmmm... Nah. Let's just go."

The two apprentices made their way through the tunnel entrance and out into the forest. It struck Galepaw that the dawn patrol was probably out and on their way back to camp. He hoped they would not catch the two of them wandering around the forest without permission.

Deerpaw must've been able to sense the tom's unease, "lighten up, will ya? Stop dragging your tail through the mud!"

"And if you don't be quiet, you'll scare all the prey away before we get a chance to catch anything," Galepaw retorted. The she-cat cuffed his ear playfully then padded off in a different direction and disappeared behind a gorse bush. Assuming she went to go catch something, Galepaw did the same.

He lowered his tabby body and moved across the wet ground with silent pawsteps. His ears pricked up instinctively when he heard a scuffling nearby. He spotted a squirrel nibbling on an acorn, completely oblivious to its surroundings. Galepaw sprang and dispatched the squirrel with a swift bite to the neck.

"Well done," Galepaw jumped when he heard a voice and spun around to see Ravenwing.

"Oh, thanks," the silver tabby let the fur lie flat on his back when he noticed it was just his father. He knew Ravenwing wouldn't rat him out for being out of the camp without permission and now if a patrol happened by them he wouldn't get in any trouble.

"What made you get up so early, son?" Ravenwing sat on his haunches and wrapped his fluffy tail around his forepaws.

"I've been restless… I keep thinking about Dovesong…" Galepaw's voice trailed away and he looked away from his father, refusing to let the tom see his weakness.

"You must be strong, Galepaw… Your mother would not want you to be sad. She would want you to be the best warrior you can be," the large tom nuzzled Galepaw's cheek. Warmth seeped through the silver tabby at his father's touch and it only made him miss his mother even more.

"I also can't stop thinking about that half-eaten squirrel that ShadowClan was grumbling about at the gathering the other night," Galepaw admitted.

"You mustn't let ShadowClan bother you. They will always be that way. Accusatory and contrary. They always try to make ThunderClan look bad."

Galepaw always took his father's advice. The young tom looked up to his father like he did no other cat. He was wise, loyal, and noble, brave and strong. Everything that Galepaw wanted to be but felt he couldn't.

"Galepaw, look what I-" Deerpaw came bursting through the undergrowth with a really fat mouse hanging from her jaws. She sat it down in front of her so it would not disrupt her speech, "hey, Ravenwing! Look how fat this mouse is!"

"Good catch you've got there, Deerpaw," the large black tom purred.

"Why don't I join you two?" Ravenwing suggested. "The clan could use some prey this morning."

The three of them together caught three mice, a squirrel, and a thrush. Before Galepaw headed back to the other two he wanted to catch just one more mouse. He assumed the hunter crouch and began to stalk forward. Before he knew it he realized he was standing right on top of the ThunderClan and ShadowClan border. He backed up before he stepped too far but then a smell caught his nose.

It was a bitter smell. It smelled almost rotten. He followed the scent not caring whether he was over the border or not; his curiosity never failed to get the better of him. The smell was getting more and more pungent and more and more unbearable. The tom pushed aside fronds of ferns and what he saw made his heart lurch. It was a dead, half-eaten squirrel. It's body was mangled while maggots crawled through it and really the only thing that made Galepaw recognize it was a squirrel was the bushy tail.

He wondered if it was the same squirrel from the last time but it couldn't be. This one was definitely killed more recently. Galepaw wondered with a knot in his stomach if the squirrel would smell of ThunderClan. He approached it slowly and just as he was a tail length away, he heard a yowl and a ShadowClan patrol stepped out of the undergrowth. The silver tabby stopped dead in his tracks and looked up. It was the ShadowClan deputy Snaketail along with Redfang and an apprentice he did not recognize.

" _What_ do you think you're _doing?_ " Snaketail's tail lashed back and forth and he snarled at Galepaw. "Is ThunderClan really pulling this fox dung again?!"

"No! It's not what it looks like!" Galepaw attempted to protest but Snaketail did not want to hear it.

"This is the second time in only _five_ days that this has happened. Are ThunderClan really this mouse-brained?" The sleek black tom hissed.

Galepaw sent a silent prayer to StarClan when Ravenwing and Deerpaw burst through the bushes. Ravenwing's fur was bristling with hostility.

"Galepaw! Is this your doing?!" He asked, his face astonished.

"N-no, Ravenwing, I swear!" Galepaw mewed meekly.

"Then why are you over the border?!" Redfang yowled.

"I-I smelled something strange so I followed the s-"

"A likely story from a lowly ThunderClan apprentice!" Redfang retorted, breaking off Galepaw's words. Galepaw glanced at the ShadowClan apprentice. It was a gray mottled tom and his eyes were darting back and forth between the squirrel, the ThunderClan cats and the ShadowClan cats.

"Toadpaw! Fetch Tangledstar!" Snaketail ordered.

"That won't be necessary," Ravenwing meowed, "I will see to it that Galepaw gets proper punishment for his actions."

"But I-" the silvery tom's helpless mew was cut off yet again.

"Galepaw, you may deny the squirrel but you cannot deny that you entered ShadowClan's territory," Ravenwing said sternly. Galepaw's tail drooped and he hung his head.

"Next time there _will_ be bloodshed," Snaketail hissed as he and the two others stalked away.

Ravenwing, Deerpaw, and Galepaw walked back to the ThunderClan camp in silence. Another dead, half-eaten squirrel, another mystery on Galepaw's mind. Why was this happening? Were ShadowClan trying to frame ThunderClan? Galepaw wished he'd gotten the chance to get at least one sniff of the squirrel to see if it smelled of ThunderClan. He didn't want his clan to be wrongly accused and there to be a battle over nothing.

At this point, the young silver tabby didn't care about being punished. He just wanted to get to the bottom of all this and protect his clan's reputation. Something was amiss, something was not quite right. He just _had_ to figure out what…


	4. Chapter 3

Chapter Three

 **.: Author's Note :.  
If you'd like your OC in my story, PM with some basic details about them! I could definitely use it to help me build the allegiances for the other clans! Be sure to give me name, clan, rank, a brief description, and a personality. Thanks! (also my ThunderClan allegiances are all done so I don't need any ThunderClan cats, I apologize if this is any inconvenience)**

It was mid afternoon and the sun was beginning to drift toward the treeline and Galepaw was stuck picking ticks out of the elders' fur as punishment. The smell of mouse bile made his stomach churn and he scrunched his nose up as he dabbed the rancid substance onto the back of Twistedfoot's ear. The old tom stifled a yawn and barked at Galepaw to hurry up.

"I don't have all day to nap! Hurry it up, would ya?" The old gray tom mumbled.

Instead of retorting, Galepaw stayed silent, his mind still focused on the two dead squirrels. It all distracted him from his mother's death for a little, which was sort of a relief, but the whole ordeal was too troubling for Galepaw to just ignore. None of the other ThunderClan cats seemed to care or worry about it and it irked Galepaw. They all just figured it was ShadowClan being their usual grumpy selves, but something was off.

Once the silver tabby had ripped the tick from the old cat's ear, Galepaw noticed that Twistedfoot was already snoring. He sighed and walked off to the apprentice's den where he saw Deerpaw tearing into a hefty looking thrush.

"I'm surprised that thing could even fly..." Galepaw mewed as he approached.

Deerpaw laughed and gestured for him to sit down next to her, "come on, smelly furball. Eat some with me. I can't finish this thing!"

Galepaw wasn't so sure he was even hungry after fooling with ticks and mouse bile and grumpy elders. He sighed a hefty sigh and Deerpaw looked at him with a curious expression.

"Why are you always so down in the dumps? I mean... I know you're upset about... Dovewing..." she hesitated to say his mother's name, afraid it might trigger something in him, "but she hunts with StarClan now. Imagine how much prey must be up there! I bet they never experience leaf-bare, the lucky ducks!" Galepaw couldn't help but smile at his lighthearted friend. She was always bright and that was one thing he enjoyed about her company. Everything he was lacking, she had.

"I know, Deerpaw. I'm sorry. I must be a horrible friend," the silver tom mewed.

The golden tabby she-cat flicked him with her tail, "you're not _that_ horrible," she mewed sarcastically. Galepaw grinned at his friend and licked her ear.

"Hey, let's go see if Elmlegs and Falconswoop will let us have a little training session. Whaddya say?" Galepaw wasn't so sure if he was up for a training session but Deerpaw seemed very excited to get some of her energy out.

"Sure, why not?"

"That's the spirit!" She mewed as the two of them walked over to the nursery where Falconswoop was standing next to who happened to be his best friend, Elmlegs. The two warriors had been inseparable since they grew up in the nursery together.

"Those kits came yet?" Deerpaw mewed to her mentor who was expecting kits with his mate, Dawnsky, a beautiful pale gray she-cat with pale blue eyes.

"Not yet, but it will be any day now!" The dark gray tabby tom purred, his expression and tone of voice gave away his excitement. Elmlegs rested his tail on his friend's flank, "you're going to be a great father, you big furball"

"Anyway," Deerpaw cut in, "Galepaw and I wanted to know if we could do a little battle training today? Y'know, before those kits come and before you're busier than a beaver with your father duties and all..."

Falconswoop cast his amber gaze toward the nursery; he seemed unsure of whether he wanted to leave it behind or not.

"Any day now!" Deerpaw mewed impatiently.

"Oh, fine, fine. It's good to know we have eager apprentices. StarClan knows Mintpaw never wants to do a darn thing... I'm glad he isn't my apprentice."

The four of them set off and before Galepaw knew it, they were already in the mossy clearing where ThunderClan apprentices trained.

"Okay, I've got this new move I wanna try out. I was thinking about it last night when I couldn't sleep," Deerpaw mewed. Galepaw admired his friend and her ability to constantly be focused on building her warrior skills. The silver tabby was all too distracted by everything that was going on. He hoped that soon his mind would clear and he would be able to focus more on his duties to his clan.

Deerpaw pressed herself to the ground, preparing to launch, when a sudden yowl rang out in the air. The four cats stopped and looked at each other, puzzled.

"What in StarClan's name was that...?" Elmlegs mewed.

"I have no idea... I'm not sure where it even came from..." Falconswoop replied.

Before Galepaw could think, he darted off in a random direction. Maybe this was his chance to find out what was going on with the squirrel incidents!

As the fluffy silver tabby tom was running, he slammed right into something. It was Beetlepaw, a small black tom with large green eyes. His green eyes seemed larger than usual.

"What's going on, Beetlepaw?"

"It's a WindClan patrol! They're accusing us of leaving rotten ThunderClan prey on their territory! It's only me and Ravenwing. Why does this keep happening to us?!" Beetlepaw was nothing but an anxious ball of nerves and fur pretty much all the time.

Galepaw was taken aback by the news. He couldn't believe it. Now WindClan was accusing them... He felt chills crawl up his spine and a knot in his stomach. This was all very bad and would cause a war between the clans for sure and not only that, it would be ShadowClan _and_ WindClan against ThunderClan. They'd be totally outnumbered.

Galepaw fetched Elmlegs, Falconswoop, and Deerpaw and advised Beetlepaw to return to his mentor. The four cats found them standing near the WindClan border, their fur raised and their whiskers twitching with hostility. On the other side, Galepaw recognized Rabbitleap, Gingerpaw, Hawkflight, and Badgerstripe. Ravenwing and Beetlepaw had all odds against them.

Elmlegs let out a yowl and approached the six cats.

"What's going on?" The thick and muscular brown tabby meowed sternly.

"I should be asking you that," retorted Rabbitleap, "I'd like to know why there is dead and rotten prey on our territory that reeks of carrion and ThunderClan..."

"Look, none of ThunderClan know why this is happening. _None_ of us," mewed Falcoswoop, "at least not that any cat would admit..." he finished, being sure to say it under his breath.

"Well, this is ridiculous. You've done it to ShadowClan. And now us. There have been no clan troubles in awhile. Are ThunderClan just looking for reasons to stick their noses into other clans? Do you all _want_ us to shred your fur out?" Hawkflight stepped in.

Galepaw didn't even know what to say as all this was happening. He was just as confused as all the other cats. But someone in ThunderClan didn't have honest intentions... That was for sure. He just needed to find out who...

Hawflight continued, "well, we are going to tell Echostar about this. You can count on that. Whether he decides to take action or not is his choice. Just be prepared for the worst, ThunderClan," the four WindClan warriors raced off into the moors and Hawkflight's threat hung thick in the air.

It was time for Galepaw to play investigator. Enough was enough and he wanted to find out the truth.


End file.
